IN MONGOLIAN MYTHS "GODESSES" WERE BOTH SHAMANS THEMSELVES." ETUGEN" IS AN ANCIENT MONGOLIAN GODDESS OF THE EARTH, A "SHAMANIST "GODDESS OF FERTILITY WHO RULES OVER GRASS AND ANIMALS. SHE CONTROLS THE FERTILITY OF THE HERDS AND CROPS, AND BELOW HER ARE INNUMERABLE LESSER SPIRITS, SOME OF WHICH ARE THE GHOSTS OF THE MONGOL ANCESTORS. HER NAME COMES FROM "OTUKE"N, THE HOLY MOUNTAIN; SHE IS ALSO CALLED "ITUGEN", AND THE NAMES FOR SHAMANS, ESPECIALLY FEMALE SHAMANS, ARE VARIATIONS OF HER NAME.

ALTHOUGH THERE IS LITTLE RECORDED ABOUT THIS GODDESS, THE MONGOLS DEPICT HER AS A YOUNG WOMAN RIDING ATOP A GRAY BULL. SHE APPEARS TO HAVE BEEN A VIRGINAL MOTHER WHO WATCHES OVER THE HEALTH OF OUR PLANET, AND WHEN SHE BELIEVES THAT THE EARTH NEEDS TO BE PURIFIED DUE TO THE ACTIONS OF US HUMANS, SHE WILL CAUSE AND EARTHQUAKE BY SHAKING HERSELF TO RID THE EARTH OF ALL ITS IMPURITIES. MONGOL FAMILIES KEPT IMAGES OF HER, AND SHE IS SOMETIMES DEPICTED AS A GROUP OF FEMININE ELEMENTAL SPIRITS. HER DAUGHTER, "UMAI", IS THE WOMB GODDESS AND GODDESS OF THE BODY SOULS ("AMI"), SIMILAR TO THE WORLD TREE. SHE AND HER DAUGHTER ARE APPEALED TO FOR FERTILITY.

TREES ARE A MANIFESTATION OF "MOTHER EARTHS "POWER, AND WORSHIP FOR HER MAY BE PERFORMED AT TREES WHICH SUITABLY REFLECT HER POWER AND BEAUTY.